Accoya: Spirit of the Place

Key Points

Client: Accoya
Job Title: Spirit of the Place
Job Type: Documentary Film Production
Location: Manchester, Huddersfield, Brighton, UK
Time Frame: 3 months
Collaborators: Refresh PR Agency

The Challenge

Accoya, a leader in high-performance modified wood, aimed to connect meaningfully with architects – their core audience – by showcasing how their product has become a part of the UK’s cultural and architectural landscape.

The task was to craft authentic, city-focused stories without directly promoting Accoya wood. Instead, the content needed to highlight how it seamlessly integrates into the identity and heritage of three distinct cities: Manchester, Huddersfield, and Brighton. Accoya partnered with Eight Engines and Refresh PR to produce a series of compelling documentaries that authentically reflected the architects’ perspectives and the spirit of each city.

The Plan

In collaboration with Refresh PR, Eight Engines developed a strategy to meet Accoya’s objectives:

• Detailed City Research: Our team delved into the architecture, culture, and history of each city to discover compelling narratives and the perfect locations to highlight.
• Architect-Driven Stories: Featuring three architects with deep personal connections to their cities, the documentaries explored their unique perspectives. Refresh PR and Eight Engines worked closely to design prompts that encouraged natural storytelling while aligning with Accoya’s values.
• Documentary Expertise: Leveraging our experience, we captured visuals and interviews that felt authentic and engaging. The series prioritized human and cultural stories while subtly positioning Accoya wood as a reliable and aesthetic material for modern architecture.
• Seamless Collaboration: Refresh PR’s strategic insight and Eight Engines’ production capabilities ensured a cohesive and efficient workflow, delivering high-quality films within the tight three-month timeline.

The Results

The Spirit of the Place series achieved remarkable success, resonating strongly with architects and enhancing Accoya’s brand visibility:

• Direct Engagement:
  • 3+ ongoing partnerships with influential architects.
  • 19 instances of direct contact with architectural practices, leading to 23 further introductions.
• Audience Reach and Interaction:
  • 29,490 impressions and a reach of 79,123.
  • 1,008 organic engagements across social platforms.
• LinkedIn Growth:
  • A 50.3% increase in visitors to Accoya’s LinkedIn page.
  • 284 new followers in the month of the content launch.
• Press Coverage:
  • 51 pieces of press coverage, highlighting the project’s reach and relevance within the architectural community.

"Through close collaboration with Refresh PR, Eight Engines delivered a series of documentaries that celebrated the heritage, culture, and architecture of each city. This project demonstrated the power of authentic storytelling, capturing both the spirit of the places and the imagination of architects – Accoya’s primary audience.

In addition feeling like we were in a safe pair of hands with the help and support Eight Engines provided throughout the project, on the filming days, it was great to see the team's passion and attention to detail.

Each team member played their role in understanding the brief and carefully capturing the perfect shot, selecting the right camera, or taking the time to ensure sound was clear. This continued in post-production too, to ensure our client would be pleased!

Their team's work also put the architects at ease in what could be quite a daunting experience. This gave them the confidence to present on camera and collaborate with the crew to select locations that meant something to them - which was essential to achieving the brief. Each architect stated how much they enjoyed the filming days and how impressed they were by the videos."

- Elizabeth Highfield, Account Manager, Refresh PR

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